There are many resources now available in books, Videos and online, authored by scientists and researchers in various scientific disciplines to debunk the failed theory of evolution. unfortunately, our schools and colleges are still insisting on spreading this pseudo-science as fact even though the theory which was promoted more than a century ago, has been proven to be wrong and new discoveries and research has completely debunked it. I am proving here some links to help you see for yourselves the evidence and real scientific evaluation and analysis. more links will be added soon
Genesis Apologetics | Folsom, CA
Blog – St. Mina Coptic Orthodox Church, Nashville TN (saintminanashville.org)
Watch Genesis Science Network LIVE – Science from a Biblical view
Do you like to tell the truth?
Do you like to hear the truth?
Do you think you know the answer to these questions?
Not too fast…don’t jump into the expected “of course I do” before you give it a little thought. This is the eternal question of Pontius Pilate for which he got no answer. At least he did not get the answer he wanted or expected. The clear problem here was that Pilate asked the question rhetorically. He already knew the truth. After all, the truth was staring him in the face. Now tell me… Why would you ask a question, when you already know the answer and you certainly don’t want to hear that answer spoken???
What about Caiaphas? He made a revealing statement “It is better for one man to die on behalf of the whole nation.” Did he understand what he was saying? Did he realize the enormity of its implication? He believed what he said to be true. Yet, he understood it and meant it in a manner completely opposite to what we understand it to mean. Even Pilate would find a third explanation to that same statement.
Philosophers like to talk about the truth in mind bending expressions, logical conundrums and endless rhetorical humdrum arguments…Is it really that complicated? On the other hand Science was supposed to be impervious to this dilemma. After all, science had nothing to do with ideology…right? It is supposed to be the domain of observation, documentation and experimentation of reproducible physical and tangible material and phenomena. That was relatively accurate until, scientists became experts in the art of fund raising. Gradually science became a dogmatic ideology… Namely, as a scientist you are to find where the ideological standings of your source of funds are, then you go out and tailor your research ‘especially your results’ to suite that ideology. Naturally this resulted in huge numbers of scientists on each side of every issue …Whoa…Truth anybody?
Come to think of it, what is truth indeed? Is it a relative concept which can only be acknowledged based on which side of the argument you stand? Is it an absolute value that only a few people can see? The misguided and conceited Gnostics thought that they had an exultant and superior ability to see and understand the truth which they believed to be beyond the inferior faculties of the ordinary person…In reality, they couldn’t be farther from the truth. Well, anyway what is so intriguing is that of those few who actually see the truth, even fewer still adhere to it…? Do I see a Why here…?
Now the most critical question follows…is there a moral imperative to seek the truth and then to steadfastly stick to it…come what may? You may notice that all those who did just that, belong to an exclusive blood-spattered club…martyrdom. Martyrdom basically means witnessing and suffering death for the truth. Even then, you find many people who go to their death, being mislead and brainwashed into thinking that by killing themselves and others, they are raising the banner of truth?
You see, human beings have an uncanny affinity to color the truth in their own image, to fit their plans and schemes.
Everyone likes to think that he or she wants to tell the truth, and to hear the truth. Yet the same people who advocate the truth, will conveniently run around it, evade it, shred it or even deny it altogether if that would seem to get them where they want to go. Whether in the courthouse, politics or romance, at school or at the work place, and even at the playground and at the kitchen…the same principle applies. Does anyone think…consequences? As it happens, camouflaging, denying or tinkering with the truth in any way always has consequences…and by way of facts and evidence…the truth always comes up regardless of the odds against it. It may be delayed, hidden for a while or adamantly rebuffed…but it always has a way of showing up when it is least expected. The more ravenous the attempts to bury the truth are, the more devastating its subsequent reemergence becomes. In the meantime, thousands may lose their lives, their livelihood or their loved ones… and much more, while others seem to gain power, influence and glory for a while. Whether one person is hurt or a whole nation is dispersed, the most powerful fact of all is that the truth will come up…and thereby shape the events of history and create what is to be the future. It is regrettable that there are too many Pilates and Caiaphas in the world in every generation. They represent a huge chunk of humanity. Even those who are staunch advocates of the truth have their share of misrepresenting the truth they are defending, or ‘given the benefit of the doubt’ they simply misunderstand it.
The real truth had revealed itself to humanity in the person of the Son Of God. He put it clearly and simply “I am the way, the truth and the life.” Why do we fail to see that…? Or are we just trying to pretend that we cannot see it? Why are people debating and wondering and trying to find any flimsy excuse to…deny that glaring truth? And of those who see and believe…why in the world cannot they agree on how to …adhere to the truth…? Now, after all this elaborate discussion can you answer those questions we started with? Do you like to tell the truth…? Do you like to hear the truth…? Is there any time when you would be afraid of the truth? Oh, by the way…There is one last fact you need to remember, and that is… no matter what you think about the truth, the truth exists. Completely irrespective to anybody’s representation or misrepresentation, it is unshakable, unchangeable and inescapable…above all…it is eternal.
David was walking alone. It was pitch black all around him. The cloudy skies had veiled the moon and the stars. To him this was uncharted territory. He had no walking stick or flash light. So, he stretched out his arm trying to feel his way through the damp air. As he stepped into a deep ditch of dirty mud, he let out a short angry yell. The voices in his head started to torment him. “How did you get yourself into this place?” He straightened himself up and shaked off some of the mud sticking to his boots. He started to walk now ever so slowly. “Why did you come here? What is this place? If you yell or scream, would any one hear you? And if anybody hears you, will they be willing to come and help you out? May be there are others around here who are trying to feel their way through the same darkness?” Suddenly his head bumped into what seemed to be a branch of a tree. He felt the sharp shooting pain. As he touched his brow, he felt the sticky warm fluid oozing out of it. He stopped. “May be you should walk back? Oh…What difference does it make?” He started to yell at the top of his lungs hoping that he might discover some company. The growl of a wild beast was the only response he got and it sent a shiver down his spine. He has just betrayed his position to the animal. He thought of the tree, so he tried to find the wicked branch which cut his brow. He grabbed it and felt his way to the trunk…wait… He hesitated for a moment. Many possible dangers can be lurking in the braches of a tree. The voices in his head were getting louder and persistent. “How did you get yourself to this spot? Could you have avoided all this? Where did it all start? What will happen now?”
He felt the first droplets of the rain on his head and shoulders. Soon, torrents of water began pouring heavily, like the spigots of heaven broke loose all at once. He was still standing near the tree, thinking whether he should climb up. In a flash a huge bolt of lightening struck the tree and lit up the world for a split second. He was thrown a few feet away as the burning tree revealed the ugliness surrounding him. As he sat in the muddy ground he saw the vast desolate wilderness around. The clapping of thunder was deafening now, as more lightening was flashing around and chasing the few small creatures running scared for their lives. Finally the storm subsided as abruptly as it started. It didn’t last long, though it felt like it would never end. Everything went back into the dark as the torrential rain put out the fire. At least now he knows where he stands. Is it any consolation to realize the gravity of his situation in the middle of the valley of death? Wait…What is that sound? Running water…no, rushing water… lots of water. Flash flood. Before he knows it, the water was all over him. He was now tumbling uncontrollably until he was carried by the water in a mad dash over rocks, logs and other screaming animals towards the cliff… he was now flying in the air… falling… falling …the canyon seemed to have no bottom. “Is this real? Or is it the worst nightmare? How…just how did he get himself into that spot…Shall any one throw him a life line…or a mighty hand reach out and pull him up somehow? He had learned that DEFEAT STARTS AT THE POINT OF DESPAIR…yet…can there be any hope now?
I was asked …There are people who call the Bible and the Coptic Orthodox Church sexist. How do we respond to them? of course we can discuss this at length and spend a lot of time to explain, however the short answer is as follows…
Most people when they do not agree with the principles and commandments of the Bible, they try to find an excuse for themselves for disobeying it. They call it outdated sometimes. They also call it inaccurate in other times. They even try to interpret the very clear verses in the Bible to suite their own inclinations and desires. All these and more methods had been tried over the centuries to discredit the Holy Book, without any success. These people are eventually exposed for what they are and fade away in history while the Bible remains as strong as ever. The latest attempt originated by the feminist movement which had started in the late 19th century and became very widespread in the second half of the 20th century, claimed that the Bible was sexist and prejudiced against women. Anyone studying history will immediately realize that it is quite the opposite. In all nations, including the great empires of the world, women being the weaker part of society in the physical sense, were badly treated and abused. All you have to do is look at the way Muslim nations (from Indonesia to Arabia to Iran…etc) even in this 21st century treat women. In the mean time the Bible from very early on, treated women with dignity and respect. The Israelites sometimes were influenced by the nations surrounding them and mistreated women. But the Bible never expressly sanctioned such mistreatment. Fact is in the New Testament the Lord Jesus elevated women to such high esteem as to make them the first witnesses to His Glorious Resurrection ahead of his own twelve disciples. The Christians have no higher Saint than the Holy Mother St. Mary. What applies to the Bible, applies also for the Coptic Church which had steadfastly adhered to the ordinances of the Bible for the past two thousand years and still do today at its own peril throughout non ending persecution.
The whole argument of the antagonists revolves around the meaning of this one word “equality.” The fact that men and women are equal does not mean that there are no physical, psychological and social differences between them. Each had been created to perform certain functions in the overall scheme of things. So they complement and complete each other rather than interchangeably replace one another. As in the one body, the heart and the brain are irreplaceable, and one cannot do the function of the other. Those antagonists would have us call God a female under the guise of equality. They encourage abortion which is nothing short of murder. If they have their way, they would do away with the male gender altogether as they encourage artificial insemination over the natural ways prescribed by the Creator. They demean the institution of marriage and do not treat it as the holy sacrament it is. In short, they attack the Bible and the Coptic Church to justify for themselves the anarchist life style they advocate which eventually leads to so many of the modern social woes, of broken families, drug abuse, rampant crime and children who don’t even know who their fathers are.
If you ride a cloud and fly over the sea, you can watch the colossal whales climb up the waves to breathe in their majestic show of force. You can see the playful dolphins dance around care free. And you can see the ferocious sharks relentlessly chase their live food without failure.
But clouds do not stand still. They keep on moving where the wind blows.
Now you may find yourself flying over a lush meadow with antelope grazing lazily, or a forest with lots of squirrels and an endless number of happy insects over, under and all around the trees.
Fly over the desert, and your ride may be endangered by the blazing sun.
Well, fly over a mountain, what would you see?
The glacial caps glistening in the sun are really a scene to behold. Some rough peaks are jotting up through the snow and ice defiantly. You shall be flying with the eagles in a domain of beauty untouched by a human eye. A little further down the slopes, as the temperature gets warmer, the melting snow, mixes with the pure life giving water springing out of the rocks and flowing freely through the crevices and crevasses. It looks so beautiful and magnificent. Yet, you know it has the power to melt and erode the rocks themselves. Nothing can impede its flow. By the time it reaches the foot of the mountain, it becomes more like a regal waterfall, creating a clear gorgeous stream which starts to meander through the land giving life and satisfaction to every thirsty creature. Mind you, your cloud did not contribute to any of this splendor. Just keep flying and watch in awe. High clouds do not produce rain. They are too bright, just like a far fetched dream which never comes true. Low clouds are dark and ugly. Yet they can flood the world with their tears. They collide and light up in lightening sparks. They make lots of noise and their rumblings throw fear in hearts. Surprisingly, we love the high beautiful and impotent clouds, and deride the low, ugly and life giving ones. We drink the water, wash in the rain and then look for shelter and wait for the storm to subside. Who had ever lived through a storm and wondered, “What a beautiful storm!!” except probably a thirsty creature living in a parched land. Creatures living around the spring of splendor never worry or fear. The spring will give its water to the lion and to the lamb. It will help a fish survive, a beaver dive and build a dam, or a swan swim elegantly around while the precious waters help the whole valley grow lush and green.
Now you might ask, who I might be.. and why do I envy the spring and the stream??
Well.. I am only a dirty muddy pool of stagnant water infested with all kinds of malady laden bugs. Yes, my surface reflects the face of the sun, but it hides perils within. I wish I had an outlet to empty all these woes I carry and a way to wash away my sorrows and refill myself with life. How does it feel, when you have to say to everyone coming close, “stay away from me… or come close at your own risk?” Oh such pain…Such awful pain.
See, I have to wait.. why, my only hope is a real mighty storm!!
On the dirt trail in the country side they were walking together. The sprawling fields all around filled the fresh air with a faint aroma of vintage wine.
It was high noon. They were approaching the farm House called Gethsemane*. When suddenly five men with machine guns seemed to come from nowhere and surrounded them. They had their heads and faces wrapped in black scarves, leaving only their bloody red eyes glaring down at them. They stopped.
“Where are you heading Christians?” barked one of the gunmen. They looked at each other, and then the priest answered calmly, “Home. We are heading home.” The gang moved in a little closer, while their leader spoke again, “where is this…home? On these grounds? Or may be … underground?” he laughed with his friends, and when he did not get an answer, he fired a few shots on the ground near their feet shouting, “Cat bite your tongues?”
Then the pastor said, “What do you want?”
“What do I want? Yeah, what do I want? Well, I am a very kind and generous man; I always like to give your likes a choice first. You can abandon your unholy religion and join us…”
When he stopped, the priest prodded, “Or?” the brute walked towards him until he was inches away…. He pulled his scarf off his face as they locked eyes. The Pastor screamed as he recognized the man,
“You? I cannot believe it…Aren’t you…?”
“Yes I am. Just because you gave me some food last week, you thought you could buy me?” the thug retorted. He walked away from them. When he was back in line with his friends, he turned and yelled, “Say it now. You will join us, or you shall join the fools we just killed in the farm house?” Both pastor and priest were horrified. The priest fell on his knees sobbing while the pastor raised his arms towards heaven, “murderers…murderers.”
In a few moments they were both sprayed with bullets among the joyous shouts of the villains. A little river of blood ran to water the plants in the fields around. With his dying breath, the priest whispered, “Olives had to be pressed for the precious oil.” The pastor smiled and said, “And the grapes… had to be pressed for… wine.” As they closed their eyes to see heaven, their cut up blessed bodies became a reminder that Saints also had to be pressed so that their holy blood bears witness of the life giving faith in their Lord…the Good Shepherd.
John 10:12
But he that is an hireling, and not the shepherd, whose own the sheep are not, seeth the wolf coming, and leaveth the sheep, and fleeth: and the wolf catcheth them, and scattereth the sheep.
*Gethsemane means oil press.
– You are angry.
I answered : Yes.. I am.
– You have no right to be angry. Look around.
I said : but I feel abandoned.
– you know this is not true. The very fact that we are talking now proves it.
I insisted : But I asked .. and repeatedly asked, I was confident that they would be comforted by now. But things are getting from bad to worse.
– it is like asking that I stop Diocletian in the middle of the persecution.
I said : would that be wrong? I am sure everyone of the people who lived through it, would be asking the same. Didn’t they?
– yes, but the persecution had to be completed in a specific time, to prepare for Constantine to be ready in place, and to prepare for Athanasius to be ready as well.. you see, those who wanted to stop the persecution, were not aware of the many aspects of the plan for the future, in order to produce the required effect.. for the generation to come afterwards.
I was chocked : in the meantime, those thousands of faithful believers had to be slaughtered in the arenas and suffer this unspeakable horror? And many lost their faith too..
– those who were martyred, it was time for them to rest and come to me.. as for those who abandoned their faith, they had fair warnings.. it was a matter of free will.. besides many had repented too and were accepted back.. the dynamics of these matters are too complicated for you to process, isn’t this what you like to repeat all the time.. ”let God be God” ?
I cried : am I destined to lose? Is this what you mean?
– win or lose is up to you. I never force anyone into anything, you know that very well.
I screamed : No.. No.. I don’t want to be separated from you .. but I also want them to stay with you and to be at peace.. and to have all the blessings and good fortune .. and …
– OK, I know, you want it all..
I calmed down and then sheepishly said :Yes.. I do.. I want it all and..
– and some more..
I said : You are rich.. and.. you can, yes.. you can give them more that what I am asking.. why not.. you can make me happy ..
– Ah.. this is the lesson..
I wondered : I missed something?
– yes.. the most important issue.. what should make you happy .. and above everything else, is that they shall stay with me.. you want me to give them earth and all its glory.. but I want to give them glory that lasts for all eternity.
I pleaded : But I don’t want them suffer.. please.. for the sake of the generations to come..
– leave this to me.. I plan for the generations to come.. and the generations which shall not come.. you are going to leave eventually and come here.. and I shall have to deal with all of the Ahithophels and Iscariots of this generation and the coming ones as well.. so .. stop you ranting and your rage.. and get back to your senses and let me do my work.. I just got out of my way to comfort you and reassure you, wait for me as you used to do.. remember how many times I surprised you with happiness you couldn’t even imagine..
I insisted : so you shall..ac_____
– No.. no.. stop.. go in peace and you shall have peace..
I begged : I want them to have peace too.. please..
– I want that too.. not another word.. you are becoming a nuisance to heaven and earth..
I tried again : I am sorry.. forgive me, but..
– all right.. all right.. granted…
Overjoyed I said : thank you.. thank.. thank you a million times..
I was asked.. What is the appropriate view on War, and as an example, what about the wars going on now?
No one likes war. I need not repeat this a hundred times for any one to understand it. However, war took place in history and in the present and will happen in the future. There are wars waged by evil people to usurp the rights of others, be it their lands, possessions or merely their freedoms. And there are wars waged by good people who only want to reclaim these same rights back. There were many wars mentioned in the Bible. Many of these wars were championed by stalwart saints like Moses, Abraham and David. In the New Testament, some Christians have got the wrong notion that Jesus was A PASSIVE PACIFICT. These Christians immediately rush to wave one of the Ten Commandments in the face of any one who disagrees with them, “THOU SHALT NOT KILL.” They do not realize that this commandment was translated wrong. The correct translation is, “THOU SHALT NOT COMMIT MURDER.” The proof here is that Moses, who delivered these commandments himself, was the general who commanded many of the battles of the Israelites, and he appointed Joshua to lead the wars of his people after his departure.. We do not believe that the New Testament contradicts the Old Testament. That is why we see the Church does not oppose enlisting Christians in the Military. (Cults like the Jehovah Witnesses prohibit joining the military and leave the defense of their rights to some one else to pay the price and carry their burden) The conclusion here is that it is honorable and great for every member in society to defend his/her rights in a dignified and fair manner. We do not advocate aggression, or promote injustice, but rather stand for what is right and should be willing to die defending it especially when this has a huge impact on our right to practice our religion free of fear or persecution… thank you Emperor Constantine for accepting the guidance of Heaven to raise the banner of the cross and stop the bitter persecution inflicted on the Christians by previous emperors.. Yes, I know some people later on abused this information and waged war for the wrong reasons.. but that is the way of humanity.. you can use a knife to cut your food, or kill another human being.. same with the gun, or just a simple rock… like Cain probably did to kill his brother Able.. you cannot compare the moral equivalency of Nero butchering thousands of Christians in the arena, and the islamists beheading and burning their adversaries.. to the armies of the allies fighting against the hordes of the Nazis..
As for the specific war, e.g. in Iraq, it is fair to debate the merits of the war in hind side. It is also fair to debate the merits of any war. What is not fair is to try to put down and undermine the efforts of others who are trying in good faith to defend you and protect you, just because you disagree with them. This is especially true because there was a point in time when there was NO DISPUTE about the validity of that particular effort, when every one was privy to the same information and we all had a unified agreement to launch that war. Undermining the effort of the military while they are already at war, will embolden those who hate us and will leave us vulnerable to future attacks by those who want to take away our religious rights and our way of life. They are exploiting the freedoms we afforded them itself, to take away our rights and force us to live in the manner they prescribe and to adopt the savage religion they are so fanatically trying to spread. If History can teach us any thing, it should open our eyes to the barbaric methods and savage, ignorant and primordial mentality we are fighting against in this twenty first century.
I believe it is fair to say… that sometimes a community does not have the capacity, resources or logistics to defend itself, in which case it may be well advised to reconcile itself to adjusting to their circumstance and deal bravely with it.. like the Christians did in old Rome and Alexandria… yet, if a community has the leadership, and resources to remove the injustice and provide for themselves – and the world around them – peace and prosperity and above all the freedom to worship God without hindrance or persecution.. then by all means they should..
I recommend that you ask your servants, councilors and guides to prepare presentations and debates on this matter to help young people who were never exposed to persecution or experienced the savagery of those who were trying for 14 centuries to destroy the church and could never prevail against her… when war is fair, and when it turns into an atrocity.. because war, is like a surgical procedure, in the hand of a surgeon, it can be life saving… but in the hands of a criminal, it is immoral and a crime.
By the way… there is a different kind of war, vicious and unrelenting, going on now all over the world.. it is subtle and deadly.. and unfortunately it triggers far less attention and consideration.. it is the spiritual war between good and evil.. the tools are not knives or guns.. but ideas.. and media outlets.. this war is extremely detrimental to humanity’s future.. and I am afraid it is the kind of war predicted to eventually lead to the inevitable apocalypse.. (discussed in a different article)
Have you ever stood by the seashore in a moonless night? Listening to the roaring of the wind, and the ceaseless assault of the indefatigable waves against the damp sand and small rocks under your bare feet… Feeling the sting of the night chill and yet unwilling to abandon that enchanting scene to the possible warmth of a cabin bathed in a dim light, with a cup of hot coffee and a piece of captivating music? As you stand there, staring at the endless darkness, you cannot distinguish the boundaries between the sea and the sky. They both blend into one sheet of blackness that is in effect, the only glimpse of eternity available to the human senses…
I did that once. I gave my back to the world, and looked into forever. Feeling the cold sea water at my feet, and listening to the overpowering song of the wind and the tumultuous lapping of the waves, I could not help but imagine that I am like a space traveler. The vast black void surrounding me filled me with awe. The shadows of a million different beings suddenly seemed to be coming forth around me. Some friendly beloved faces and some unwelcome antagonists. The wonderful thing about this scene is that you can cast your own characters, create your own dialogue and make up your own ending. Oh, but wait a minute. There is no possible ending. You cannot see any beginning, so how can there be an ending? As I sat down there on the wet sand, I sank deeper and deeper into the enthralling melody of the wind and the sea. It felt like a dream. I did not want to wake up. Little monsters kept tickling my toes and then running away. I could not see them, but I enjoyed the game. So many beautiful smiling faces of Saints, angels and friends filled my heart with inexplicable ecstasy… the kind you want to go on and on endlessly…
Yet, Before I know it, dawn was creeping in. The crimson rays of the sun were fighting their way through the majestic curtains of the night. I got ready to stand up and leave. There they were next to my feet… Numerous seashells were playfully dancing with the waves. Big and small, smashed or whole, they all came after a long journey through the abyss, to rest at last at a shore where they have never been before. The beautiful apparitions with whom I spent the night, already departed. A few sea gulls flew in and started their morning ritual dances. I stooped down to pick a seashell. Small and cold to the touch, oh little thing did you finally reach home?
Previously published online and in my book.